Urban Modernity expands our understanding of the impact of the industrial revolution on the development of Paris, London, Chicago, Berlin, and Tokyo. It provides a rich history of the "dynamic forces of science and technology"(ix). But this is not a book about the nuts and bolts of these cities. Rather it is a well-researched, in-depth exploration into the cultural and social influences and innovations that shaped a modern technological urban environment. In the preface, Miriam Levin defines "'modernity' as a condition of existence whose major feature is acceptance of historical changes as a given" (8). With few exceptions, change came about at the hands of individuals and institutions.
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